Railway car dump door construction



Jan. 5, 1932. A. CAMPBELL 1,839,644

RAILWAY CAR DUMP DQQR CONsTRUCTION Filed April 21, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l 772 U67? 202 AKGYLE QMPBEL Jan. 5, 1932. A. CAMPBELL RAILWAY CAR DUMP DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 21, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 O I I\" \MQ V5 Jan. 5, 1932. A. CAMPBELL 4 RAILWAY CAR DUMP DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed April 21, 1930 V 3 She ets-Sheet 3 2 722/622 202 G E 4MPa41 5472772655 v I M Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARGYLE CAMPBELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ENTERPRISE RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPOR-ATIONOF ILLINOIS RAILWAY CAR DUMP DOOR CONSTRUCTION Application filed April 21, 1930. Serial No. 445,910.

This invention relates to improvements in car construction.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple and relatively inexpensive bracing construction for the free edge ofa floor sheet adjacent the hinged edge. of a discharge opening whereby said bracing construction will stifi'en the free edge of the hopper floor sheet, provide a rigid support for a discharge door and also operate as a tying member between the centersill and side walls of the car.

Another object of my invention is to provide an integral brace and hinge member which will maintain a hinged door in fixed relation to a hopper floor sheet throughout the entire range of movement of the door.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a combined floor sheet brace and hinge support which will cooperate with a hopper side Wall door sealing and reinforcing means to prevent sagging or distortion of said side wall.

My invention further resides in certain other details of construction such as is more fully pointed out hereinafter and claimed.

My improvements are shown as applied to a hopper dump car of the so-called W-type having hopper floor sheets and door parts,

' arranged to form hoppers at the lower portion of the car.

In dump cars of this character having sloping floor sheets disposed at an angle to each other, difficulty is sometimes experienced in maintaining a tight joint adjacent the hinged edge of the door, due to distortion of the free edge of the floor plate adjacent the hinged edge of the door and also due to corrosion followed by tearing of the material at the junction of the hopper side wall and floor plates. where the plates forming the hopper walls are generally bent from one plane to another.

My improved construction is designed to overcome the weaknesses of the above character by providing an integral bracing member along the free edge of the sloping floor plate at the hinged edge, of the door, said member extending from the center sill to the side wall of the hopper and formed with an integral flange or wall which overlies the side hopper wall and connects therewith and with a hopper side wall reinforcing and sealing member; said hinge member is provided with integral hinge lugs adapted to underlie a hinged door, the latter in turn being formed concentrically with respect to the pivotal axis of the door and forming a support for the overhanging portion of the floor plate in all positions of the door.

In the drawings forming a part of this 5 specification,

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the lower portion of the car and showing slightly more than one-half the width thereof;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of that portion of the car illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on a line riprresponding substantially to a line 3-3 of Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the combined brace and hinge butt member;

Fig. 5 is a view showing a modified form of construction; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing another modification of the hinge brace member incorporating an integral portion of the hinge butt to overlie the curved upper portion of the door.

Referring firstto the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, wherein my improvements are shown as applied to a car of the W-type having vertically suspended doors: 10 indicates the centersill channels having a cover plate 11 and spacing members 12, said centersill being surmounted by an A shaped ridge 13. The vertical side wall of the car is indicated at 14. Intermediate the centersill and side walls of the car there are disposed on each side of the centersill a series of hoppers, but inasmuch as the construction on each side of the centersill and for-each hopper is of the same general character, the description herein will be confined to one said ho per.

ach said hopper includes a transversely disposed lon itudinally sloping lower bottom sheet 15 an inner and outer side walls 16 and 17, respectively. The inner wall is disposed substantially in a vertical plane and 100 said outer wall slopes downwardly and inwardly towards the centersill of the car. The hopper side walls are flanged as indicated at 18 and secured to the transversely extending bottom sheets 15.

Adjacent the upper portion of the hopper there is a transversely extending ridge shaped structure connected to the side wall of the car through the medium of gussets 19. This ridge shaped structure includes a longitudinally sloping upper floor sheet 20, the free edge of which, in combination with the side hopper walls 16 and 17 and sloping bottom sheet 15, defines a discharge opening through which the lading in the hoppers may be unloaded.

Positioned in the discharge opening is a dumping door A which is pivotally mounted on a combined reinforcing brace and hinge member B. The door A extends slightly beyond the inner face of the hopper bottom and side walls for the purpose of providing a bearing between the door surface and the hopper walls, the inner side wall 16 of the hopper being deflected inwardly as at 21 thence outwardly to provide a shoulder 22 in engagement with the floor surfaces of the door. The outer hopper floor sheet 17 is reinforced on its outer surface with an overlying rigidifying member C of appreciable width and flanged outwardly as at 23 and 24, respectively, to present'a channel shaped section. The flange 24 is further flanged at substantially right angles to the door surfaces, as indicated at 25, and the flanges 24 and 25 c0- operate with the door to form a tight oint at the outer side edge of the door.

At its lower edge, the said member C is flanged beneath the bottom floor sheet, as indicated at 27, and riveted thereto by rivets 28 and 29. Overlying the said flange 27 and secured thereto by the rivets 29 is the reinforcing angle member 30 which extends from side to side of the 'car, and ties together the pair of transversely aligned hopper sections which are disposed on opposite sides of the centersills.

The combined reinforcing brace and hinge member B which is of rugged construction and preferably formed of cast metal, includes a body section formed of angularly related walls 31 and 32, braced relatively to each other by a series of bracing flanges 33. The body section is preferably disposed an appreciable distance away from the free edge of the hopper floor sheet 20, and its wall 31 underlies said floor sheet and is secured there to by rivets 34. Adjacent each side wall of the hopper, the said member B is formed with depressed portions 3535 adapted to seat beneath the flanges 18 of the respective inner and outer hopper walls 16 and 17. The wall 32 of the member B extends substantiall at right angles to its associated wall 31. (gutstanding from this wall 32, beneath the upper floor plate 20, is a plurality of integral hinge lugs 36, preferably arranged in pairs with an intervening space between the lugs of each pair for the purpose of receiving the door hinge straps, as will be hereinafter described. Rearwardly of each pair of hinge lugs there is disposed one of the bracing flanges 33 which operates to strengthen the hinge member at these points.

The reinforcing hinge member B, at its inner end, has a wall 37 arranged to lie against and be secured to the web of the adjoining centersill 10 by means of rivets 38. At its outer end the member B is formed with a wall 39 extending upwardly from the body ortion of the member and braced thereto y means of a rib 40. This rib is preferably in line with and forms substantially a con: tinuation of the depending wall 32. The wall 39 overlying both the outer hopper side Wall 17 and the rigidifying' sealing member C is secured to both the said members by rivets 41. The wall 39 is formed with an offset, as indicated at 42, for the purpose of enveloping the offset flanges 24 and 25 of the said rigidifying member C.

' The dumping door A includes a main body portion 43 which is preferably flanged along its edges, as indicated at 44, 45, 46 and 47, respectively, the latter being disposed at the rear edge of the door and connected with the main body portion 43 by an arcuate portion 48, said arcuate portionbeing formed concentrically with respect to the pivotal axis of the door and acting as a support for the overlying portion of the floor sheet 20. Riveted or otherwise secured to the door is a pair of hinge straps 49, each said hinge strap being disposed between a pair of the hinge lugs 36-36 on the hinge member B. Extending through the lugs 3636 and the hinge straps 49 are the pivot bolts 50. Adjacent the free edge of the door is a beam 51 which is preferably formed of Z-shaped section extending transversely across the pair of aligned doors, the inner flanges 45 of the doors being flared, as indicated at 52, at the intersection of the said flanges 45 and beam member 51.

The doors are adapted to be opened and closed by suitable door locking and operating mechanism, as indicated generally by the character D, said mechanism preferably including an operating shaft 53 pivotally mounted in bearings 54, the latter being rigidly secured to the centersill. The shaft 53 has associated therewith a crank-like member 55 connected with the door by means of a link member 56, the latter in turn being secured to the door by the adjusting bolt and nut members 59 and 60 respectively. The operating shaft is extended outwardly to the side of the car through suitable bearings and is provided with suitable locking and rotating means indicated generally by. the char acter D.

The dumping door A, when fully opened, moves to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. The arcuate portion 48 of the door during such movement is at all times tangent to the projecting portion of the floor plate and acts as a support for the said projecting portion, it being understood that the floor plate 20, having a certain degree of flexibility, will rest upon and be supported by said arcuate portion 48 of the door and thus form a tight joint at the hinged edge of the door throughout the entire range of movement of the door.

The overlying wall 39 of the hinge and bracing member B, extending, as it does, to the junction of the inwardly sloping hopper wall 17 and the bottom floor sheet 20 of the car, acts as a tying member at said junction. By reason of the connection of the inner end of the bracing member to the centersill, by means of wall 37, there is effected a tying connection between the outer hopper side wall and the centersill. The fact that the wall 39 overlies the rigidifying member C and is secured thereto adjacent the upper end thereof, operates to extend the stiflening influence of said wall 39 beyond the confines of the wall itself, inasmuch as the rigidifying member C is stiffened adjacent each of its side edges by the flanges 23, 24 and25, and extends downwardly to the lower portion of the hopper where it is secured to the lower part thereof by the lower flange 27. My improved construction, therefore, provides a strong reinforcing beam at the side of the hopper which is supported at one end through the flange 39 of the rigidifying member and at the opposite end by the flange 27, the latter being secured to the angular member and thereby tied from one hopper to the other .clear across the car. It will be understood that Where the hopper walls taper downwardly at an angle in the manner illustrated and described, the pressure of the load operates to force said walls outwardly to a greaterdegree than if said walls were disposed vertically. This arrangement of the bracing member B at the upperportion of the hopper extending across from the centersill to the side wall, and the provision of the member 30 extending clear across both hoppers, at their lower portions, in combination with the rigidifying member C, supported at its opposite ends by said respective upper and lower members, all results in a construction which firmly supports the inwardly inclined side wall at its upper and lower portions and resists outward bulging of the hopper walls.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, 210 indicates the centersill construction; 211 the sloping hopper bottom sheet at the upper portion 0 the hopper; 212 the outer side wall of the hopper; 213 the rigidifying andsealing member on the outer side wall of the hopper; 214 the combined brace and hinge member having angularly related walls 215 and 216, the wall 215 being secured to the hopper bottom sheet 211 and the wall 216 depending at right angles to form a reinforcing rib. On the opposite side to flange 215, there is also disposed a wall 217 which extends beyond the bottom floor sheet 211. Associated with said walls 216 and 217 are integral hinge lugs 218 which support the dumping door 219, said door being mounted. on the hinge lugs by means of pivot pins 220. At the outer end the combined floor brace and hinge member is formed with the overlying wall 221 which is secured to the side sheet 212 by rivets 222, a portion of said wall being extended and sandwiched between said hopper wall 212 and an offset 22 i formed in the rigidifying and sealing member 213. In this construction it will be noted that the dumping door cooperates with the portion 217 of the floor brace. At its inner end, the member 214 is formed with a wall portion 225 whereby a connection is effected with the centersill structure.

I claim:

1. In car construction, the combination with a centersill having a vertical web, floor sheet, side hopper wall sheet and dumping door; of a floor reinforcing and hinge mem ber extending lengthwise of and directly secured to the under surface of the ed e portion of the floor sheet to stiffen said fIoor sheet and secured at one end to the vertical web of the centersill, and having a vertical wall portion at its other end secured to and overlying the side hopper wall sheets, said member having integral hinge means adapted to receive the dumping door.

2. In car construction, the combination of a centersill, floor sheet, side hopper wall sheet and dumping door; a combined floor reinforcing and hinge member extending lengthwise of the edge of the floor sheet and secured at its ends to the centersill and hopper wall sheet, said member having a body portion formed of angularly related walls, one of said walls being directly secured to the under side of the floor sheet and the other of said walls extending substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the floor sheet, said perpendicular wall being spaced an appreciable distance from the edge of the floor sheet; hinge lugs pivotally supporting the door and formed integrally with said perpendicular wall and extending away from said wall and beneath the projecting portion of the floor sheet; and 'rigidifying ribs extending between said angularly related walls of said floor reinforcing and hinge member, and disposed rearwardly of the hinges of the door.

8. In a railway dump car, the combination of a floor plate of relatively thin metal, a cast metal hinge member having a beam-like ortion secured to the under surface of the oor the combination of a one-piece cast member extending between and secured at its ends to the centersill and hopper side wall, said member having a body portion secured to the under side of the floor plate at an appreciable distance from the free edge of the plate whereby a portion of the floor plate extends beyond said body portion of the cast member; integral door hinge lugs on the cast member extending towards the free edge of and disposed beneath the projecting floor plate; and a door pivotally mounted on said hinge lugs and concentrically formed at its rear edge with respect to the rear edge of the door and tangentially related with the extending portion of the floor plate.

5. In a railway car of the character described, including centersills, inner and outer related walls, one of said walls being secured.

to the under surface of the floor plate at an appreciable distance from its free edge and the other of said walls depending vertically from said first named wall, door hinge lugs formed integrally with and projecting from the said depending wall and extending beneath the projecting floor plate; and a door pivotally mounted on said hinge lugs, said door and hinge lugs being concentrically formed with respect to the hinge axis of the door, said concentric portion of the door being tangentially related with the overhanging portion of the floor plate.

6. In a hopper car of the character described, having a hopper including outer and inner hopper sheets cooperating with upper and lower transversely extending hopper sheets to form a discharge opening, the combination of a discharge door extending transversely of the car and adapted to be positioned in said opening; a reinforcing member disposed on the outer sheet and formed with an offset portion extending along the side edge of the door to form a seal; a combined brace and hinge-member extending along the hinged end of the door and secured to the under side of the upper floor sheet, said brace member having a wall portion at the outer end thereof extending over the hopper side wall and disposed in overlying relation with reinforcing sealing member and secured thereto and to the outer hopper side sheet.

7. In a railway car, the combination of a longitudinally extending centersill and hoppcrs disposed on the opposite sides thereof in transversely aligned relation, each said hopper being defined by upper and lower sloping floor sheets adapted to direct lading longitudinally of the car, transverse floor sheets respectively defining the inner and outer sides of the hopper, said outer hopper sheets sloping inwardly and downwardly towards the centersill; of a combined stiffener and hinge member extending adjacent the hinge end of the door from the centersill to the side wall of the car, said member having a wall portion disposed in overlying relation with the outer side hopper floor sheet; hinge lugs formed integrally with the said hinge member and adapted to cooperate with hinges on the door to maintain the same in operating relation; a reinforcing and stilfenin g member extending adjacent the lower hopper sheet and extending transversely across the car to maintain the transversely aligned hoppers in spaced relation; and a reinforcing and seal-- nally sloping floor defining the upper edgev of a discharge opening and hopper floor sheets forming the inner and outer sides of said discharge opening, said outer sheets converging downwardly and inwardly in a direction towards the centersill, said inner and outer sheets having supporting flanges bent inwardly beneath the longitudinally sloping sheet at the upper edge of the discharge opening; a combined hinge and floor brace member having a body portion disposed beneath the floor sheet at an appreciable distance from the free edge thereof, said member having ofi'set portions extending beneath the supporting flanges of the side walls,

and having overlying walls disposed at the opposite ends secured to the centersill and sloping side walls, respectively, of the car, said overlying portion at the outer hopper side wall extending upwardly and outwardly to correspond to the inclination of the hopper side wall; and a bracing rib on the outer side of said overlying wall adapted to brace said wall relatively to the body section.

9. As an article of manufacture for railway cars, a one-piece member suitable for a phcation to a car body comprising a bo section having a wall portion adapted to be secured to the under side of the floor sheet of the car at an appreciable distance from the edge thereof, and having an angularly related depending wall portion, hinge butts formed integrally with said depending wall portion, said member having an integral transverse wall portion at each end thereof adapted to overlie and be respectively secured to the centersill and side hopper floor sheet.

10. As an article of manufacture, a combined floor brace, hinge butt, corner brace, and tying member for cars adapted to hold a centersill web and hopper side wall in fixed relation to each other, and comprisin a member adapted to be secured to a car oor plate and having a flanged portion at one end adapted to be secured to the centersill web and having at its opposite end a flange portion adapted to overlie and be secured to a sloping hopper side wall, said flange sloping upwardly and outwardly to conform to the inclination of the hopper wall and having a bracing rib adapted to brace said flange to the main body of the bracing member.

11. As an article of manufacture for railway cars, a brace and hinge member for two floor sheets of a hopper car intersecting each other at an angle, said brace embodying integral body and flange portions extending in planes corresponding to the intersecting planes of the car sheets and adapted to be secured to the respective car sheets, the flange portion of said member extending parallel to and arranged to terminate inwardly of the free edge of one of said sheets, and adapted for direct attachment to said sheet; and integral hinge lugs extending from said body portion opposite said flange portion and beneath the dumping door and projecting portion of the floor sheet.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I e have hereunto subsdribed my'name this 18th day of April, 1930.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL. 

